The March into the Northern Territories
by exdragon47
Summary: Jake Kohle didn't know how to fight. Nor did he know why he was accepted into Beacon. But someone... Someone he didn't know, somehow managed to get him in. Just north of Vytal, word has spread that an evil force in the Northern Territories were stirring again, 100 years after the fall of the Grand Army. The demands for hunters was growing and Jake is one of them.
1. Chapter 1 - Arrival

Jake Kohle looked out the window above the city, where the buildings were just as big as his index finger. He was sailing in an airship towards Beacon, one of the most prestigious academies for hunters and huntresses. He was nervous. Unlike the other students around him who were skilled in combat, he was not. Well skilled in fighting, that is. He was different and possibly the only one of his kind so far to be admitted into Beacon. He was an aspiring engineer: someone that wasn't a significant source of aura, magic, or fighting abilities. He was, though, an excellent source of protein for the Grimm.

To add insult to injury, he didn't even attend a combat school before he was invited to attend Beacon. Even "invited" was a loose term for saying forced. Yes, Jake was almost forced into attending Beacon, with all costs paid by an unnamed source.

But it wasn't like Jake to be sulking about. There was a reason why he was drafted into Beacon. It was because of his creative abilities to design weapons... on the back of his notepads. He never was able to create his own weapon, let alone design a functioning one. He only messed around with the occasional circuitry and drew imaginary weapons that would look cool to make someday. But someone must have seen something in him that was valuable and that is why he was here.

He looked around to see the other students standing around, mingling with one another. The crowd varied in different sizes and builds, both an equal amount of boys to girls; it looks like being a Hunter was a trending profession these days. He spotted a girl in the adjacent corner of the room, staring out the window in the same manner as he.

"Why not strike up a conversation?" he mumbled to himself, "Like dissolves like."

"Hey," he said to the girl as he approached her.

She turned from the window to look up at him with her critical emerald eyes. She had long black hair, done up in a ponytail, a slim build, and a small crescent scar on her cheek. When she stood up to confront him, she only measured to his chin.

"What do you want?" she asked, with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to get to know some new people, I guess," He cleared his throat, "Hello, I'm Jake Kohle. It's nice to meet you."

"Serrah Jade. Sanctum Acadamy".

"Oh right! Rutherfurd School for the Gifted- I went to," he said, wincing right afterwards.

She smiled. "That isn't exactly a combat school, is it?"

"No, it's a school- for the gifted-". He stopped himself with his hand on his face, and begun again. "Someone thought it would be funny to transfer me into this school, fund all the costs, and watch me fall apart. Like, I can't even fight."

"Oh, don't worry about that," she said, clearly distracted. Her eyes were instead narrowed on something over his shoulder.

Jake turned around. All he saw was a bunch of student mulling around.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

And then he saw it. On the other side of the room, a blond haired boy, of similar stature to Jake's, wearing full plated armor and sporting an ornate sword by his side, was walking with his group of "friends".

"Money," Serrah spat in disgust, "Enough money to buy his acceptance into the school."

The blond haired boy, along with his group of "friends", walked up to a girl, who was talking in a group. Uneasiness washed over the crowd, and the girl was suddenly left standing alone. The room suddenly fell into an eerie hush.

"Hey, you!" shouted the blond haired boy, addressing the singled out girl.

She turned around to face the boy, an eyebrow raise.

"They say you are the toughest one here?"

"Some may say," she said with a thick, Slavic accent, "But I can neither confirm or deny that claim."

"Well fight me. I am here at Beacon to form an army; an elite force to march into the Northern Territories and exterminate the Grimm with extreme prejudice. Prove to me that you are worthy enough and you shall be granted a position."

There was a moment of silence, followed by the girl's laughter. "Pah! You- forming an army? And the Northern Territories? Didn't you learn in your prestigious history class about the Grand Army, numbered at one thousand and two hundred men strong? They didn't stand a damned chance against the Grimm. They didn't even make it a kilometer beyond the border. You- you are a fool. A rich fool who throws his money at the wall and expects something to happen. Your ambitions are worthless."

His eye twitched. He took a deep breath in and out. But it wasn't enough. He was humiliated and angry. He raised his fists and beckoned the girl.

The girl took a step back. But it wasn't to retreat. Smiling, she shook out her arms, cracked her knuckles, and raised her fists.

In a flash, the boy lunged. He swung with both arms, one after the other, but could not land a hit. Avoiding every blow, she gave him a firm kick in the chest, knocking the boy back. Furious, he charged at the girl, but to his dismay, he completely missed. Seeing that he was completely defenseless, she elbowed him in the back, knocking him face flat on the floor. It took a good few seconds for him to get back up, but before he could take his stance, she delivered a strong uppercut to his jaw and sent the fully armored boy soaring in the air. There was a roar from the crowd and the blond haired boy's friends rushed over to see him, who was on his back and knocked out cold.

The entire confrontation stirred up a lot of commotion, attracting the teachers' attention. They arrived to the scene a bit too late, and found a roaring crowd encircling a girl and an unconscious boy. The girl was whisked off by the teachers, and the boy carried out on a stretcher.

"That... was... hilarious!" Jake exclaimed, as they were walking to the hall in which the first years were supposed to meet, "Like, did you see how she sent that guy flying! Oh man, I want to be able to do that!"

Serrah smiled. "I was there, you know."

"Yeah, I knew that. Oh, who were those people by the way?"

"David Aureolin Jr., son of the military general. The girl, I'm not sure."

"General, eh? No wonder he had his hopes and dreams of leading his army. He wanted to be like his dad!" he joked.

She laughed, but it quickly faded away into a grim undertone, "The Fall of the Grand Army is the main reason why we train hunters and huntresses and send them in teams of four. Since the annexation of the Northern Territories proved to be a complete failure, the military is reluctant to pull that stunt again. That event further proves why Beacon exists: to breed specialized fighters to exterminate the Grimm."

"How are smaller teams better than an army? Isn't a large force much stronger?"

"Smaller teams are much more efficient and minimizes risks. Also hunters and huntresses are specialized to fight against the Grimm, unlike the Grand Army. That is why I don't like Aureolin's idea. He's going to risk the lives of hundreds and repeat history all over again."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! This is my first fan fiction that I've ever wrote and I really hoped you enjoyed the first chapter. I'm thinking of posting once a week and I might be able to pump chapters out faster during the holidays. Feel free to write reviews, ask questions, or give feedback on my writing. I'm more active on Reddit, so if you want something to be answered faster, I go by the same username: /u/exdragon47. So let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Reminiscence

Jake laid in him warm and comfy bedroll, ready to fall asleep. He needed his rest for the next day; tomorrow was the initiation test. He looked up at the ornate ceiling depicting the evolutions of humans through the eras. On the far side of the room was a painting of the formation of Remnant with the four great continents: Vytal, Mistral, Atlas, and Vacuo. The next painting showed rise of man, discovering dust as a tool of survival in order to end the long reign of the creatures of Grimm. Similar grand and detailed paintings, showing both the achievements and failures of the human race, lined the ceiling. At the end of the timeline were four silhouettes painted in front of what looked like the hill where Beacon was built upon; that of which he did not know whom they belonged to.

Jake sat up. What once was filled with excited whispers was now replaced with the sounds of relaxed shallows breaths. Serrah was sleeping next to him; all bundled up, nice and warm in her bedroll. She looked like a cute little kitten. Perhaps he should give her a pair of cat ears for her birthday. When was her birthday? He realized that he barely knows her, yet she's the closest friend he has here at Beacon.

He laid down again. It was already late at night and he should have been asleep long ago, but what Ozpin said earlier today during the Ceremony, he couldn't get out of his head.

"All of you came here to become a hunter or huntress and you are willing to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. We are only here to guide you along the road. Whether you will accept that responsibility and use your obtained knowledge for the betterment of people is up to you. That is all."

It made Jake feel uncomfortable. It almost felt as though- if something were to arise, he would have to- or rather, was obliged to sacrifice his life for whatever it might be. He was not sure if he had the resolve to make that kind of dedication. After Ozpin's brief speech, no one seemed at all phased. In fact, everyone was excited- excited for tomorrow's initiation test. Even before they knew what the test encompassed, students were bragging that they would be the first one to finish the test.

First person to finish!? Jake didn't even know if he could even complete initiation, much less talk how fast he could do it. All of these thoughts were encircling him and jabbing at his sides. Did he even belong here? He could have gone on to learn engineering, designing and building airships, bridges, palaces, and other things that need his skills. Jake was tired yet he couldn't sleep with all these anxious thoughts. He decided get a glass of water. Hopefully that'll help clear his mind.

Getting back into his bedroll, he looked back at the ceiling. There was something about it that was really familiar. Then it hit him. One of the silhouette on the ceiling belonged to Ozpin. He jerked up into a sitting position. He had to tell someone! Who were those other three people? Why was Ozpin on the ceiling? He wanted to ask someone to satisfy his starving curiosity, but it had to wait; everyone was asleep. Excited about his find, all his doubts were washed away, and he eventually lulled into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Sir, you called me to your office?" asked Jake.

"Ah, Mr. Kohle. Take a seat," the Headmaster of Rutherford School said, gesturing at a comfy leather seat sitting in front of his desk.

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

"No, no, no… Of course not…"

The Headmaster was shuffling through stacks of paper that were littered around on his desk. He picked up one of the sheets and pulled out his reading glasses. After a quick scan of its contents, he looked up at Jake.

"Where do you plan on going after you graduate from Rutherford?"

"I'm not too sure, sir, but I think I might take up an apprenticeship. My friend's father is a blacksmith and I was thinking on learning metalwork before I apply for theoretical sciences. I am hoping to become an engineer."

"Hmm… A good career, I would say. But that isn't the reason why I asked you here today- give me a moment," he said, raising his finger to keep Jake from unleashing a barrage of questions, "I was notified that you had received an offer. This doesn't happen often. In fact, this is the first time it has at Rutherford. But you were offered a position to study at Beacon as a hunter. I know Professor Ozpin personally, and I can guarantee you that his school is the best in all of Vytal."

The Headmaster paused, looking for a reaction from Jake. He soon realized that the boy had nothing to say, given that the boy was utterly speechless and displayed an expression of shock. The Headmaster continued.

"But for you, I can assume it is a matter of whether this is the right career for you. I'm sure you are familiar with Beacon?"

It took a while for Jake to come back, but he was able to give a nod. But soon enough, Jake returned to his former curious self.

"If I may ask, why me?" he asked. "I mean there are so many other students that are better than me. I don't have any combat experience either. Why did they pick me?"

"That, I do not know" the man said. He spun his chair around, looking at the courtyard of his school, and let out a sigh. "But I trust in Professor Ozpin's decision as much as my own."

* * *

"Wake up Jake! It's initiation day. We only got an hour to get ready," said a female voice, shaking him.

"Mmmm… Let me sleep, mom… I'm really tired," he mumbled.

There was a muffled snicker.

He opened one eye and saw a pair of crystal green eyes peering at him just 10 cm away from his face. There was a pause, but as soon as Jake registered what he was seeing, he sprang out of his bedroll.

"Whoa!" he shouted, his shaken expression.

Serrah let out a fit of laughter.

"Sorry," she wheezed, trying to regain a her composure, "I- I couldn't help it!"

"Uh yeah… Sorry about that. It's not like I thought you were my mom or anything..." Jake murmured, his eyes fixed on the window.

"No worries."

Jake looked around. Except the two of them, the room was completely empty. He checked his watch. It was 8:10 in the morning.

"Uh, Serrah… What time do we need to be down for Initiation?"

"8:30, sharp."

"It's 8:10 right now!"

"I know," Serrah said calmly.

He just realized that Serrah was already fully dressed in her combat outfit; a black sleeveless vest, with two straps running around her abdomen, camo-green cargo pants, and her hair done up in a ponytail. What really caught Jake's attention were two plated gauntlets covering the back of her hand that ran down her forearm. They were leafy green in color and had a cold metal surface; its shiny luster suggested that it has not been used much.

But there was no time to ask questions, if they didn't want to show up late to the initiation. Serrah waited by the door, while Jake got ready. Ten minutes later, they started for the assembly hall.

As they got closer to the hall, they could hear the chatter of students getting louder and louder. There were more students around them now, all flooding towards the assembly hall. Rounding the last corner, they bumped into Ozpin.

"Ah, Mr. Kohle. You were just the person I was looking for. Come with me for a second," the professor said abruptly. He then looked at Serrah. "Miss Jade. If you would excuse me, I will be taking Mr. Kohle for now. There are private matters I wish to discuss with him."

"I'll meet up with you later," Jake told her quickly before catching up with Ozpin.

"Alright," Serrah replied, watching the two disappear around the corner.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of MINT (I think that's a good abbreviation). Sorry if this chapter was a bit slower, I realized that this didn't have as much action as people would have hoped (if they did expect anything in the first place...). But don't worry! Next chapter will be filled with action, drama, violence, and heartbreak- the stuff that everyone likes, right? I will be trying my hardest to keep up with my promise: a weekly release. It's actually harder than I thought. The editorial process is quite the effort and even though I finished writing the first draft two days after the release of chapter 1. Anyways, I won't let stop me from pumping out new content. Thanks for reading, and hold on tight for next week's release: Initiation.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Initiation

**Warning! This chapter contains scenes of epic, descriptive, action-packed violence. This is not recommended for the faint of heart. Proceed at your own risk.**

* * *

Serrah walked into the assembly hall. They had already been here before for the opening ceremony, but its grandeur still impressed her. After all, it was the largest hall in the entire campus.

As she stood near the entrance of the hall, a few other students bumped into her, apologizing as they hurried through the crowd towards their friends.

There was still a growing crowd formed around David Aureolin Jr. in the far corner. He appeared to be fine from the encounter on the airship, but his face was still a bit deformed from the girl's uppercut to the jaw. More students greeted him as they joined the group, expressing their concerns by asking him whether he was okay, what was he going to do with the girl, and other questions of the like.

On the other side of the room, it was the exact opposite. Unlike the extremely dense area of students orbiting around the ever-so popular Aureolin Jr., the other side of the room was almost empty. The only people there were a few smaller groups of friends and then there was the girl, the same one from the incident on the airship. She was alone for the most part, except for a couple of daring of students who challenged her in a duel, to which her response was disinterest. They eventually drifted away after realizing that she wasn't going to fight them any time soon, leaving her all by herself.

Serrah decided to join her. She noticed that the girl's eyebrows were furrowed, arms crossed, and a slight look of distaste, but she seemed completely fine being alone. As Serrah got closer, she was able to fully view her, unlike when they were on the airship. She had beautiful silky silver hair, falling all the way down her back and to her waist. She was really well built, especially her arms that had a stronger bite than a bark. Her face was near flawless and she stood menacingly and proudly. When Serrah approached her, she only acknowledged Serrah by simply raised an eyebrow.

"Hello!" Serrah said to the girl, trying to make a friendly impression.

The silver-haired girl still had her arms crossed and looking forward, only keeping Serrah in the corner of her eye. She grunted in response.

"What's your name?" Serrah said, trying to prompt a proper conversation.

"Ledo. Nalythia Ledo. What do you want?"

"Well… I'm Serrah Jade, nice to meet you. I just-"

"Wanted to challenge me to another one of those silly duels?" Nalythia asked, now turning towards Serrah, now overshadowing her.

"No- I just- I don't want to challenge you to a duel-" Serrah started.

"Good. Now what do you want?" she asked sternly, but relaxed her shoulders.

Serrah took a deep breath, slightly annoyed with Nalythia, but nether the less she continued.

"I thought that the uppercut you gave Aureolin was well executed," she started, "Where did you train?"

"Altar Academy."

"Oh, that's not too far from here. I went to Crystal Academy."

Nalythia flinched when Serrah mentioned the name.

"I knew someone who went there. That's not near here, is it?"

"No, no. It's far out in Eastern Vytal."

"What made you come to Beacon?"

"My brother. He came here many years ago." Serrah said, carefully.

"Hah…"

All of a sudden, Jake rushed in.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.

"Nothing much," Serrah replied," Oh, this is Nalythia Ledo. Nalythia, this is Jake Kohle."

"Hello!" Jake said cheerily and she nodded in turn. Then Jake gasped, "Oh-my-god-is-she-that-girl-who-knocked-that-guy-out-and-destroyed-his-face!"

"That's one way to put it," Serrah said, while Nalythia frowned. Changing the subject, Serrah asked Jake, "So what did Ozpin want from you?"

"Oh, he just asked whether I had a weapon. I told him I didn't, so he brought me to the armory and gave me this awesome gun," he said, pulled out a pistol from his newly obtained holster.

The pistol was one of the standard issued guns for the Vytal's military force. It had a metallic blue sheen with a greenish-yellow neon stripe running down the side of the barrel. These guns were preferred by the VTSF, the Vytal Tactical Strike Force, since they were easy to carry and packed a punch for its size. The BME-45 (_Burst_ Multi Elemental) was also popular because it was easy to disassemble and modify.

"Cool, huh?" Jake said, admiring his new weapon.

"That's it?" Nalythia asked, unimpressed.

"Uh Jake, that gun doesn't do much against-" started Serrah, before a loud tap on the microphone interrupted her.

Glynda Goodwitch was standing on the stage with Ozpin at her side, with a microphone in hand.

"First Year students, today is your initiation test," she announced, her voice echoing throughout the entire hall. "It will be held in the Forest of Forever Fall this year. Further instructions shall be given upon arrival. Now, if you would like to make your way towards the Port, we shall be embarking on airships."

* * *

The airships they took were much smaller than the ones that they took when they first arrived at Beacon; a Bullhead, Jake remembered ever so vaguely from his time at Rutherford. He never flew in one before and was surprised to find it to have quite a simplistic interior. It wasn't exactly luxurious, but it met their needs, consisting simply of two benches facing each other.

No one talked throughout the flight. Most of the students were getting ready, making sure that they all had their gear and their weapons combat ready. Jake sat across from Serrah and Nalythia, both of which had their eyes closed. They had identical expressions on their faces; calm, yet fierce.

Next to him was another boy; Pierre Gris, he said was his name. He didn't seem to be quite as prepared as the other students on their Bullhead. Apparently, he forgot to bring dust for his weapon and spent the rest of the flight cursing to himself under his breath.

Fifteen long minutes later, there was a moment of static crackling on the internal speakers in the airship, and then the voice of Professor Goodwitch.

"We are now five minutes away from the drop zone in the Forest of Forever Fall. You will be traveling at an altitude of 500m and are to airdrop in twenty second intervals."

On cue, the Bullhead started its slow descent. There was a silence for just a second, but then was interrupted by another voice, this time Ozpin's.

"Today's test consists of two parts."

Holographic map appeared on the front wall, showing the geographic location of the area. A red blip traveled slowly across the screen, which represented their airship.

"First, you must locate one of the many creatures of Grimm on which we have attached a tracker. Each of you are provided with an indicator, which will sound at an increased interval as you near your target."

Nine new red dots appeared on the map, some motionless and others slowly milling around.

"Second, you will retrieve an artifact that each creature guards and proceed towards the designated pick up zone."

A large circle appeared on the map, sitting in the epicenter of the red dots.

"It is also to be noted that the first person you meet will be your partner for the next four years at Beacon. Good luck."

There was a barely audible click and the speaker went dead. A few seconds later, there was the sounding of an alarm. The pilot started to shout from the cockpit.

"All right! We are now at 500m. There are indicators near the end of the ship. Don't forget to pick one up before you drop. Thirty seconds before the first drop! Get ready!"

Pierre Gris, who was sitting next to Jake started to panic.

"Where are the parachutes?" he shouted, scrambling around the ship.

"They said you didn't need any!" the pilot shouted back.

The boy stopped dead in his tracks. "What!"

Jake started to get sweaty palms and the Gris's panicking wasn't any help to calm his nerves. He looked over at the two girls sitting across from them. Both Serrah and Nalythia already had their indicators and were ready. The Bullhead's door started to open and the alarm intensified. The ship's hull reverberated a loud roar, as a large rush of air entered the ship.

"Go! Go! Go!" shouted the pilot, beckoning the students out by waving his arm.

Nalythia was the first to jump out. It was more like she just walked up to the door and instantly vanished.

Two minute later, it was just Serrah, Jake, and the boy who were left, from the ten people who were once on board.

"Go!" shouted the pilot.

The boy refused to jump, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Frustrated, the pilot got up, leaving the copilot in control of the ship, and pushed the boy out. Unfortunately, Gris had forgotten his indicator that was still sitting on the bench.

Serrah looked over at Jake. "I'll see you soon!" she shouted over the roar of the wind.

Serrah made her way towards the door and right as she reached the edge she turned around and saluted Jake. A second later, she disappeared.

"Last one! Get ready!"

"Fifteen… Fourteen…" he counted to himself.

He pulled out from his pocket his makeshift grapple hook he made during his years at Rutherford. It wasn't designed to sustain an airdrop, but it was better than falling face flat on the ground. Thousands of thoughts ran through Jake's mind, but he pushed them aside and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Five… Four… Three…"

He clipped the hook onto the rope, which was attached to his harness.

"Two… One…"

Jake ran out the door at full speed and was sucked out of the ship. For just a moment, it felt like he was floating, but he was then met with a mighty rush of air. Adrenaline pumping, he focused on his target: a group of trees next to a small clearing. Jake reached for his grapple hook. He would have to fire it at just the right time to break his fall.

"Five… No- Three… Two… One…"

He fired hook, but it was too late. Jake missed his cue by just a second. Instead of hitting the tree branch, it stuck to the trunk of the tree. He sped downwards beyond the treetop line and swung around the tree in a counterclockwise motion. He was about to come full force into the tree when all of a sudden the wire snapped, sending Jake tumbling towards the ground at an alarming rate. He was heading right for a bush when a girl walked right out of nowhere and into his collision.

"Watch ou-" Jake tried to shout. The girl was only able to turn her head when Jake came crashing into her.

* * *

Jake opened his eyes. Was he dead after falling out of the sky? Nope, it didn't seem like it. He was still alive and whole.

"Hey!" said a cute voice.

Jake looked around and realized he was off the ground.

"You were coming at like a mile an hour!"

Jake was still disoriented from the fall, but only then understood that he was being carried.

"What happened?" Jake asked, dazed.

"Well… let's say that you survived the first test; reaching the ground alive. But I did catch you, so you're safe and sound."

He stood up and stretched his back. He looked at his arms, and then moved down to his legs. Nothing broken, barely any scrapes or bruises, and no pain at all.

"How…?"

"Aura. I'm really good with my aura, so I cushioned your fall. But it was really close. One second later and you would have been a pancake. But-" she raised her finger in the air, "There's no time to fool around now. Welcome to the team! I'm Myrilly Flare! Pleasure for you to join us!"

She extended out to shake Jake's hand, to which he complied.

"Jake Kohle. Thanks… for everything."

"No problem! So where are we heading off to?" Myrilly asked, pulling out a map.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Hmm? Didn't you get one from the airship?"

"No… They gave us this," Jake told her, pulling out the stick shaped indicator.

"Interesting… Hmm…" she muttered, closely inspecting it from Jake's hand. "Could it be… A magic wand!"

"Um no. It's supposed to beep when the target monsters are nearby."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure," he said, handing it to her.

She took it, exchanging it for the map that she got on their airship. They walked over towards the nearby clearing and Jake perched himself on a rock, then started examining the map. Based on where he dropped from the ship, they were some few kilometers southwest of the pick up area. He considered their options. The first option was to head straight to the pick up zone and hope that they'll come across a target monster. That was certainly a good idea, but there would be other pairs who were hunting for the targets, lowering their chances for an encounter. There was also the option to hunt for the Grimm. Also another great idea… in theory, but they didn't know where to start.

"Uhhh Jake?!" Myrilly shouted to him from a distance.

"One moment!"

"The thing's beeping!"

"Give me a sec!"

"The things beeping faster!" she shouted, now running towards Jake.

"I said just give me a se-!" he said, finally turning towards her.

The indicator was sounding really fast, almost at a solid tone.

"Oh shoot! The Grimm, they're nearby!" Jake blurted out, scrambling for his gun.

It took a second for Myrilly to register, but then a huge smile crept onto her face.

"Is it time to fight?" she asked, almost innocently.

Jake turned his head slowly towards Myrilly.

"Yes?" he replied, slightly confused.

"Whoo!" she cried in excitement.

The beeping suddenly stopped, Jake's head whipping to look at it. It was dead cold; not a sound was made.

Suddenly, a large beowolf tore into the clearing, pausing for a second, and then let out a loud howl, which echoed throughout the entire forest. One by one, more and more beowolves entered the clearing until there were seven in total, the last one to enter was the largest of them all, presumably the alpha of the pack. Apart from being twice as large as the other beowolves, it sported a playing card that was precariously taped on its forehead, the ace of spades.

There was a moment of tension and everything was still. As if on cue, the indicator sparked to life, breaking the silence and aggravating the beowolves. The alpha beowolf let out a long howl and the pack began to encircle the two students.

Jake held his gun with both his two hands. He was shaking as he aimed it at one of the beowolves. Unexpectedly, there was a booming rev of a motor and then the sound of a chainsaw. Jake looked behind him to see Myrilly holding a two handed greatsword, that had menacing saw teeth spinning along the edge of the blade at very fasts speeds. There were four exhaust pipes acting as the hilt, which sputtered out the occasional flame.

The beowolves were taken aback for just a moment, buta single growl from the alpha returned the beasts to their original ferocity.

The beowolf who leapt first at Myrilly was not well met. He was sliced in half mercilessly by a swift swing of the chainsaw-greatsword.

"Whoo!" shouted Myrilly in pure ecstasy, rolling back her shoulders.

She took the offensive, cocking back her sword and dashing at the nearest beowolf. She delivered an undercut, which sliced off the front paw of the beowolf. A quick side slash caught the bipedal beast in the shoulder, completely taking off its arm with complete ease. Trails of blood and the flying limb soared through the air, following the arc of the blade. Myrilly finished the helpless beast with a downward smash; its head ripped into two, grey matter propelled into the air from the vicious sawing of the blade.

Perhaps it was the merciless disembodiment of their pack member or the psychopathic aura given off by Myrilly that demoralized the rest of the beowolves. But it was needless to say that she did not have much more trouble fighting the rest, even against greater numbers.

Another beowolf thought it would be brave to charge towards Myrilly, where it encountered a downward cut. The blade caused a large gash in the beast's shoulder section and then halved the beast with a side cut at its abdomen.

Myrilly was still in mid-swing when another beowolf charged towards her with a slash that should have taken off her head, but was instead stopped dead. There was a flash of red light that emanated atop of where she would have been stuck; it was her aura. She recovered from her last strike and stabbed the unguarded stomach of the beowolf. At first, nothing happened, as its armor seemed to have protected it from the blow.

But then there was loud rev, slowly and steadily increasing. The blade revved faster and faster, digging slowly but surely into the hide of the animal. Bits and pieces of flesh and blood splattered on the ground from where she was sawing the Grimm. There was a pause, until finally it gave to and the blade, still revving, pierced through the abdomen of the beast, blood and flesh flying into the air and onto the other beowolves.

At this point, the alpha male decided that Myrilly was too big of a threat and that it has lost too many pack members to her. Spotting Jake, who was concentrated somewhere else, snarled and then pounced at him.

* * *

During the entire time that Myrilly was butchering the beowolves, Jake did his best to support her. It was the first time he was using this type of gun and the bullets were a higher caliber than what a normal pistol would shoot, increasing the amount of recoil for Jake to handle. After a few misfires, he began to concentrate each shot so he could reduce the recoil and improve the accuracy of his shots. Using the non-elemental piercing bullets, he aimed for the eyes. After three or four misses, he finally hit his target: a stray beowolf who seemed mildly interested in attacking, instantly killing it as its brain matter coated the trees behind it. At that point, Myrilly just began to drill through the beast having already killed three others.

Jake's stomach churned; it was more than what he had expected. He heard a snarl and from over his shoulder saw the alpha male bouldering towards him. He took aim and fired a quick succession of shots: one to its chest, another grazing the beast's arm, and the last one buried itself into its thigh. But that didn't stop the alpha beowolf. Instead, it just infuriated it even move. Jake dived out of the way from the collision path; only his jacket getting caught, which was torn to shred from the sharp claws of the beast.

The alpha beowolf turn around and was about to charge once again, when Myrilly stepped between the two, revving her chainsword. Seeing that it was a lost cause, the beowolf howled for the last time and resigned into the red gloomy darkness of the forest, followed by the remainder of its pack members. Something fluttered down from the sky. The ace of spades that was once carried proudly upon the forehead of the alpha beowolf was deposited at the base of Jake's feet.

"Whoo!" Myrilly let out, stretching her arms into the air, "Great job Jake! We got them good!"

"Well you were a one man army."

"True, very true. But that was some nice shooting you had there. When did you learn to shoot like that?"

"My uncle used to take me hunting, until he was devoured by an ursa major. He would have easily won in a straight on fight, but he caught by surprise one night, when he stayed out a bit too late after sunset," he told her, followed by a sigh. " We found his bloodied boots in the morning; everything else was gone."

"Oh… that's too bad."

"So enough about me, let's head off to the pick up zone?"

"Lead the way!"

* * *

**OP delivers! I hope you enjoyed the third chapter of this series. This chapter was much longer than the last two and finally incorporated some action, hopefully nothing too gruesome for you to handle. Also, I would like to apologize about the delayed posting of this chapter. My "editor" and "ex-friend" was too lazy to read through and left me to my own device. Either way, the only thing that matters is that it's here. By the way, this isn't the end of initiation; there's more of it to come (just one more bit). I'll see you next week with Chapter 4!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Initiation Part 2

It took longer to get to the pickup zone than Jake had originally anticipated. Being forced off the beaten trail, they had to navigate through the thick vegetation of the Forest of Forever Fall.

"So you're telling me that you've never gone to a combat school? How did you get into Beacon?" Myrilly asked him, following closely behind him.

Jake held down a branch and let Myrilly pass through. "Nope, never been. And I have no idea how I was offered a spot in Beacon."

"Hmm… That's really odd. So you have no combat experience at all?"

"None." He paused of a second, and then realized her implications. "Ah! Sorry. I'll just be a dead weight to the team."

"No worries! Even a sack of potatoes has their uses in combat."

"Err… Thanks?" he replied, unsure how to respond to being compared with vegetables.

They went silent again and the forest seemed to act in accordance, as the only sounds they could hear were the crunching of fallen leaves under their feet. As they got closer towards the pick up zone, streaks of light trickled past through the dense treetops of the forest. What was once a dark forest began to lighten up and they found themselves now walking through lightly scattered trees. The eerie silence of the crimson thickets turned into the sounds the calming rustling of the leaves as a gentle breeze flowed through the trees.

The moment of bliss was soon interrupted by the shouts of distress.

"Get! Away!" shouted a familiar voice from nearby.

Jake ran over to the source of the shouting, followed by Myrilly, who had already drawn her weapon. Jake pulled out his own pistol as well, now creeping closer to the clearing, where the situation was occurring.

Aureolin was fighting a huge ursa major, wielding his longsword and tower shield. His partner, a girl, was lying unconscious in a growing pool of blood behind Aureolin, her ornate staff still in hand.

There was a large metal crash, as Aureolin deflected a powerful swipe from the ursa with his large shield. The boy countered with a lunge to the exposed underbelly, his sword piecing its thick hide. The monster roared with anguish and sent Aureolin flying with a strong slam, the sword still lodged in its stomach.

Jake saw his chance to help. He fired at the ursa no longer in fear of hitting Aureolin, emptying the entire clip. Multiple bullets found their target, but none of them caused any fatal damage. Then Myrilly sprang out from the bushes, chainsaw in hand, and charged towards the beast.

The revving of her chainsaw temporarily stunned the injured Grimm, but it quickly regained focus, parrying her initial strike using the armor on its forearms. Her attack blocked, Myrilly was slow to recover with her heavy weapon, and was left vulnerable from the ursa's powerful claws. With Myrilly in such close proximity to the ursa, Jake couldn't do anything but watch her get ripped to shreds.

Suddenly Aureolin rushed in, shield raised, knocking back the beast. The ursa downed, he quickly pulled out his sword, the ursa roaring in agony.

"You want a piece of me?" he shouted at the beast.

It roared back and then regained its offensive stance. But it was too late. Aureolin already closed the distance between the two and before it could defend itself, he let out a fury of slashes in combination with a few shield bashes. The thousands of repetitions showed, as the impeccably timed strikes dealt their damage to the undefended underside of the ursa major. He thrust forward with his sword catching the oversized Grimm in the chest, throwing it over his head and sent it a considerable distance.

The beast now lay limp, bleeding profusely from its belly. Jake rushed out of the bush and double tapped it to make sure it was dead, where Myrilly shortly joined him. Aureolin wasn't next to them admiring his kill, but rather was kneeling next to his partner, swiftly trying to heal her with his aura.

"C'mon… C'mon!" he mumbled.

"Urg," groaned the girl, coming back into consciousness.

"Hey, wake up. Ursa's dead. We have to get going," he told the girl.

She sat up and looked around, her eyes barely open. Only now did Jake see that the back of her outfit displayed a distinct slash marks from the ursa. The bleeding had stopped, the wounds now replaced with fine white scars.

Aureolin helped the girl up, "Feeling better?" he asked her.

"Yeah… Thanks," she mumbled back, still a bit dazed.

He turned to Jake and Myrilly.

"Thank you very much for aiding us. Damned Grimm ambushed us."

He indicated to the slash marks on his partner's outfit.

The girl was looking a bit better, now dusting herself off.

"David Aureolin. Nice to meet you."

"Jake Kohle."

"Myrilly Flare."

He shook both their hands.

"This is Lia Ceil."

"Hello, nice to meet you Jake, Myrilly." the brunette girl said, nodding at each.

Lia's voice had an elegant and smooth trill, almost resembling a low purr.

Jake examined the girl without looking too suspicious. She seemed a bit different than most people, notably with her long, straight hair that rolled gently over her shoulders adorned with two silver-white tufts on her head.

Jake's efforts were in futile, as Lia noticed his staring and cocked her head to the side.

"I'm an owl faunus, if you were curious, Jake," she told in a matter-of-fact manner.

Jake blushed and looked away, but said nothing.

In the mean time, Aureolin had made his way over towards the fallen beast, and came back with a retrieved object.

"The king of hearts," he told said, showing them the trophy, "A fine prize, if you ask me."

* * *

It wasn't too long after when they reached the pick up zone, marked by a large red X on the top of a hill. On the opposite side of the hill was a steep cliff, overseeing the entire Forest of Forever Fall. They could just make out the figure of Beacon in the horizon, still grand as ever from a considerable distance away.

"So… How do we get back?" asked Myrilly.

No one knew.

"Damned trees!" they heard a voice shout behind them.

Nalythia was the first one to come into view. Next was Serrah, followed by two other people, a boy and a girl.

"Ah! Jake!" Serrah called out to him.

Jake waved back at the newly arrived crew.

They settled down on the fine yellow-red grass a quick rest. Myrilly was the first one to talk.

"Did you get the trophy?"

Four cards were produced. Jake and Myrilly had the ace of spades, Aureolin and Lia got the king of hearts, Serrah and Nalythia obtained the ace of hearts, and the boy and the girl, whose names turned out to be Zack and Pearl, had retrieved the king of spades.

"What do you think they mean?" Pearl asked.

"Probably they determine the teams," Lia offered.

"By suit? Or by face?" Jake asked.

"No clue," Serrah replied.

They fell into another moment of silence.

"So does anyone know how to signal them to pick us up?" Myrilly asked out of the blue.

Zack pulled out a small red colored gun.

"A flare gun!" Myrilly cried, very much familiar with the device. "Can I? Can I? Can I?" she jumped up and down, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

He offered it to her. But rather than firing it in the air, she took it and opened it up. At the sight of the exposed round, she scoffed and let out a burst of frustration. She opened her pouch that she carried by her hip and dug her arm in, pulling out a customized dust round. After emptying the contents of the flare gun on the ground, she plopped in the perfectly sized dust round and cocked the gun.

"Are you ready?" she asked the crew, most of them a bit uneasy.

"Uhh yeah?" Aureolin replied.

"Let the show begin!" she exclaimed

She fired the round into the sky and it sailed through the sky gracefully. Like a normal flare gunshot, the round detonated at a certain height. Instead of a brilliant show of lights, dust particles were dispersed overhead. There was a moment of awe as the initial burst echoed through the forest, when all of a sudden the dust ignited in a huge cloud of fire. Even at 100m above them, the light was blinding and they could even feel the shockwave from the explosion.

"Are you crazy?!" cried Nalythia, her hands still covering her ears.

"Umm yeah!" shouted back Myrilly.

Before they could get into an argument, three bullheads appeared from beneath the cliff.

"It worked!" the girl exclaimed.

"Of course it works you idiot! You almost lit up the entire forest!" Nalythia shouted.

A man opened up the side door on the airship and beckoned them on. Quickly, but cautiously, they jumped on one by one onto the hovering airship.

In less than an hour, they would be back safe and sound in Beacon, initiation completed successfully. Or that was what Jake thought. A piecing shriek filled the sky, as multiple black shadows descended upon the airships.

The nevermore have arrived.

* * *

**You'd think that one would have plenty of time to write during the winter break. Nope! Here in Toronto, we suffered a 2+ day blackout due to freezing rain. Damn, as pretty as it looked, it was hell'a dangerous. Now for this chapter, I'd like to apologize how short and rough it is (and late). But like I promised, here is the chapter and I hope I can put out another one this week before next Tuesday's. Oh! Before I forget, Merry Christmas! Enjoy this week's chapter, Initiation Pt. 2 (Uncreative name, I know.)**


	5. Chapter 5 - Return

At first, Jake didn't know what was happening, but it was made clear when a huge thud came from the ceiling.

One of the nevermore landed on bullhead; its ultra sharp claws dug into the hull of the airship. The entire ship jerked backwards, snatched from the air by the beast. The nevermore's strong wings completely overpowered the engine's futile attempts to regain control of the ship. Without much effort, it took off with them: airship, passengers, and all.

There wasn't much they could do without the risk of further damaging the airship. The engines weren't holding up well against the rough handling. Black smoke profusely billowed out, leaving a streak, as they were carried higher and higher. Should the avian monster let them go now, the ship would be as good as a newborn chick learning to fly.

"Shit!" cursed Aureolin, trying to do a combination of slashing at the bird's claws with his sword and keeping his balance.

"Don't bother. Their claws are made of keratin. You might as well be hacking at concrete," Lia told him.

Suddenly, a single distinguished shot rang out. For a moment, they felt themselves free-floating in midair, which quickly changed into free falling.

The treetops were approaching faster and faster, their speed not showing any signs of slowing down. At the last second, the engines miraculously sparked back into action, catching the bullhead before the passengers plummeted to their demise.

There was a sigh of relief throughout the plane, but it was too soon to rest easy. Three other gigantic birds descended upon the exposed bullheads. They were flying in a different pattern than before, now aware of the potential danger that killed their companion.

They made passes at the airship, clipping the wings with their claws as they zoomed by from behind.

"Go faster!" shouted Myrilly.

"This is as fast as she goes!" the pilot shouted back.

Myrilly started to dig in her pouch again.

Behind them, another nevermore attack was coming.

Serrah, realizing what she was doing called to the pilot "Open the back door!"

"What?"

"Open up the back!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," he said, pressing a button on the dashboard.

The back started to lower, wind rushing into the airship. Myrilly finally found what she was looking for: the flare gun.

"Here we go again," Nalythia muttered.

The unsuspecting nevermore weren't able to foresee what hit them, before they spontaneously caught on fire from the modified rounds. They dropped like flies, as they tried to extinguish the flames.

"We're almost at Beacon!" the pilot called out.

Another flock of nevermore descended, now strafing next to the bullhead.

"I can't get the shot," Myrilly shouted.

"Damned buggers learn quick," Aureolin said.

Outside, the birds were closing in from the sides, edging dangerously closer. Had the nevermore been allowed another minute, they would have all been dead. But they made it into Beacon's range. The anti Grimm defenses turrets fired at the birds, ultimately forcing them into a retreat after suffering massive losses.

* * *

They were alive, bruised and full of scratches, but very much alive.

It was already dark outside, when they finally arrived back into Beacon. Their wounds were addressed and were swiftly sent off to get ready for the ceremony. An hour later, they found themselves in the assembly hall, now filled with ornate decorations.

Jake stood at the entrance of the hall, dressed in a formal black suit. The other students, most of who went without a scratch, greeted him as he walked in.

Jake felt for his pistol. Of course, it wasn't there. He was forced to leave it in his newly assigned locker, for obvious safety reasons. Already, he developed an attachment to his weapon. The pistol provided him with a sense of comfort and security, that of which he was currently lacking.

He checked his watch. It displayed 9:29 pm.

"Ceremony starts at 9:30. Where are they?" he murmured to himself.

He turned around. The doors were now closing.

"Boo!" someone whispered in his ear.

Jake leapt back in surprise, colliding into Serrah. They would have both fallen over if Nalythia had not supported them both. Over her shoulder, Jake could see Aureolin already surrounded by other students, accompanied by Lia Ceil at his side.

"The ceremony will begin shortly," Professor Goodwitch announced on the microphone.

Everyone made their way to their seats and Ozpin appeared from behind the backstage curtains. He walked over to the mic, his signature mug still in his hand.

"I would like to begin by congratulating you for successfully completing the initiation test. As you may have noticed by now, the number of students from this morning has declined. Let me remind all of you that this school is meant to be challenging. It will push you beyond your limits and will mold you into a hunter… or huntress."

He paused for a second, and adjusted his glasses.

"Now we shall begin with the creation of teams. As you have heard before, these teams shall remain for the duration of your stay at Beacon. Let me be clear that there will be no further changes."

Again, Ozpin paused for a second to take a sip from his mug.

"This year's objective was to obtain playing cards, which were guarded by the Grimm in the Forest of Forever Fall. Not an easy task, of course. But expect this to be a gift. The challenges that await you are far more dangerous that such that you have just completed."

Jake shuddered. If Ozpin's goal was to scare them, he was doing a heck of a good job. It turned out that teams were formed for matching faces.

"With the Two of Hearts and Spades: Sapphire Rainart, Flynn Calcis, Rin Murasaki, and Amber Courtney. Team Safira, lead by Sapphire Rainart."

A round of applause echoed throughout the room as four figures made their way on stage. They shook hands with the professors and resumed to take their seats. Another half-a-dozen other teams were called up.

"With the King of Hearts and Spades: Lia Ceil, David Aureolin, Pearl Celeste, and Zack Aero. Team Lapis, lead by Lia Ceil."

The four walked onto the stage, a mix of confusion and excitement coming from the audience. Many students started to whisper to each other. Jake was able to catch a few words here and there, but he managed to figure out that they didn't appreciate that Lia was the leader. However, Aureolin didn't look upset that Lia was announced the leader, but rather was contented.

"Finally, the last team, with the Ace of Hearts and Spades: Jake Kohle, Serrah Jade, Myrilly Flare, and Nalythia Ledo. Team Jasmine, lead by Jake Kohle."

At first, he thought he didn't hear correctly. Though he stood up, he only started moving after Serrah started to prod him forwards.

They moved onto the stage and Jake shook hands with Ozpin.

"Well done, Mr. Kohle. I expect much from you in the future," Ozpin told him.

"Congratulations, Mr. Kohle," said Professor Goodwitch.

He continued to shake all the professors' hands until he reached the last professor, who seemed a bit distracted.

"Yes, yes. Congratulations," the white-haired professor mumbled, half heartedly shaking his hand.

They returned to their seats and were silently congratulated by the other students sitting around him. Serrah gave him a playful punch to the shoulder.

"Now," Ozpin declared, returning back to the centre of the stage, "to commemorate your success in the initiation test, food shall be served in the dining hall. Congratulations to everyone and I wish you a good night."

* * *

"Yay! Go Team Jasmine!" cried Myrilly, her arms waving wildly in the air, a chicken drumstick clutched in both hands.

"Is it really okay for me as the leader?" Jake asked his newly formed team.

"So long as you don't lead us to our death, I am fine," Nalythia said.

"Yeah, just don't get us killed and you'll be all right," said Serrah.

"Alright."

Jake's worries were soon washed away by the excitement in the dining hall. He barely had time eat, as every single team leader approached him to congratulate him and to chat. Lia also approached him and expressed her praise. She explained that Aureolin was mildly upset, but expressed that she was his best choice for leader.

He briefly saw Aureolin as he walked by, but wasn't able to approach him due to the high traffic of students enveloping him.

Soon enough, everyone was getting tired and progressively made their way to their newly assigned dorms.

Their room wasn't extravagant, but it good enough for the four members of Team Jasmine, as they crashed into their beds, dead tired.

* * *

**Happy New Years! First off, I'd like to apologize for the delay. I did promise that I would post more, but ended up posting less than usual. Either way, it's here. I, however, am busying myself with University application. I can't express how much fun it is. Did I also mention that it is -40 degrees Celsius outside? It's a rough start to this year, but I'm sure we'll all make it through alive, right? Anyways, enjoy this chapter of MINT. Please leave comments! I want to know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6 - First Day

"All first-year leaders are to report to the strategy room after first period," a voice rang through the halls. The same message was illuminated on the holographic displays mounted throughout the school.

Jake was ready for a great first day at Beacon. Unfortunately for him, the first period happened to be combat class, taught by Professor Port.

While most the other students were skilled enough in unarmed combat, a few students, primarily the long-range users, struggled to keep up with the advanced techniques consisting of throws and strikes to holds and escapes. For Jake, however, he was completely lost. To his merit, he could handle a weapon properly, but when it came to fighting without one, he was dead in the water.

Thankfully, the professor offered to provide extra lessons for Jake. Even though it was probably Ozpin who directed Professor Port to do so, Jake appreciated the offer.

It was their talk after the class that almost caused Jake show up late to the meeting. A last minute call sprang him into a mad dash for the classroom, which Serrah was kind enough to point out before first period.

With less than a minute to spare, he burst into the room. Everyone was sitting around an elliptical table, their eyes turning at the new arrival. There were around ten people in the room, including him.

"Ah! Glad for you to join us, Mr. Kohle," Professor Goodwitch said.

From the far side of the room, Lia beckoned him over to a seat that she had reserved for him.

"I believe that is all of us. Now, Ms. Caeruleus, if you would." Professor Goodwitch invited a girl that Jake did not recognize.

"Good morning to all of you. For those who do not know me, I am Vita Caeruleus. This will be my fourth and final year at Beacon, and I will be assuming the role of the first years' representative. I hope we can work together and that you can have an easy transition into Beacon life."

There was a gentle round of applause before Vita continued.

"Now for the first matters to attend to…" she started, glancing at a piece of paper sitting in front of her, "Your duties as a team leader. You are now responsible for the management of a team. Their health, academics, physique, and mental state are of your responsibility and it is your duty to resolve any internal problems or conflicts. That said… there is nothing stopping you to reach for help.

"This will be your equipment: a scroll," Vita said, as Goodwitch handed her a holographic-display tablet. "This will be your method of communication between anyone else who has a tablet, which includes all staff members and team leaders of Beacon. In combat, it can be used to monitor Aura levels of your fellow teammates. Use this information wisely, as a small mistake can cost you the lives of your team."

They began to pass down Scrolls to everyone in the room. After a quick walkthrough to setting it up, Vita continued to the next topic of the meeting.

"Lastly, there is the tournament, which is fast approaching. In a month's time, every student is required to participate in at least a single event. Currently, there are still details to be worked out, but we want to give you a forewarning. This is an extremely important event and we advise you to take this seriously. Professor, any last comments?"

Professor Goodwitch stood up.

"Thank you Ms. Caeruleus. For the tournament, we want all leaders to encourage strong work ethics with their teammates to ensure a success in the tournament. As for Ms. Caeruleus here, her team, VOLT, holds three consecutive champion titles in Team Battles. I hope all of you follow her example and bring your team a win. That is all. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

Jake walked out of the room, his Scroll in hand. He still had to sync up his teammates' aura, but nevertheless, it was an interesting piece of technology co-developed by none other than Beacon's Professor Eisen.

First years' schedule consisted mainly of mandatory courses, with the option of only one elective course, unlike the vast freedoms in Second Year. If they all took the same courses, they should have been all in the class. Unfortunately, there were enough students in First Year to form two separate classes and Team Jasmine and Team Lapiz were split into the different ones.

Jake parted with Lia and met up with his teammates. Although it was the first day of school, the day was filled with hours of classes. Professor's Oobleck's history class and Professor Goodwitch's Introduction to Dust Studies ensued, followed by a quick lunch break. The rest of the day was reserved for self-study in the library.

"Fiiiiiinally!" Myrilly exclaimed, raising her arms out to stretch.

"I certainly didn't expect this much work on the first day," Jake added.

"It's as expected of Beacon, being the best in Vytal. They have to live up to their standards," Nalytha pointed out.

"A history quiz next class about the origins of Grimm, an essay about the best applications of dust in the last century for Dust Studies next week, and an expected three hour intense training every day? I think even that is a stretch for Beacon's work load," Serrah replied.

"Well, maybe they are trying to scare everyone; to weed out the weaker bunch," suggested Jake.

They all turned to stare at him.

"What!? It's not like I'm going to be the one who drops out!"

"Let's hope that's true, Red Leader," Nalythia told him.

* * *

"Sooo! We have four hours until dinner! What do you guys want to do?" Myrilly asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure. I saw a pool table in the Recreation Room earlier and we definitely can take a break," Serrah said.

"That sounds great, except I got a meeting at soon with Professor Port," Jake told them.

Nalythia's eyes twitched. "What do you have to do with him?" she asked.

"Ahhh… Just some extra help…"

"What extra hel- " Nalythia started, before she was interrupted by Serrah.

"That's fine, you go do that. We'll meet you later."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

"Bye!" Myrilly called to him, as he walked out of the library.

A bunch of head turned to her and created a symphony of hushes.

"Sorry!" Myrilly whispered back.

"So what is this about Jake and Professor Port?" Nalythia venomously whispered.

"It's his own business. We should trust in him. He's a good guy at heart; he's an innocent idealist," Serrah retorted.

"An innocent leader isn't what we need here! It's about experience! It's about who clawed their way up from the ashes and made it here when all of them said that they were worthless! And look at me now! Look where I am! Here, at Beacon! I am better than all-."

Nalythia was standing up. Her outburst caught the attention of almost every person in the library. Realizing what she had done, she sank back down into her chair and buried her face into her opened book that lay on the table. The librarian walked over to them and tapped Nalythia on the shoulder.

"Is everything all right?" the librarian asked, concerned.

"Everything is fine. We were just in a heated debate," Serrah told her.

"Perhaps you should do that elsewhere," she replied, clearly annoyed.

"Of course, we were just on our way out."

Myrilly and Serrah got up and started to pack their bags; Nalythia still was face planted in her book, not saying word.

"C'mon, let's go," Serrah told Nalythia, poking her in the arm.

She refused to budge, so Serrah started to pack her bags for her.

"I'll carry you if you don't come," said Myrilly, jokingly.

There was no response from Nalythia, so Myrilly made the decision to carry her. Flaring her aura, she picked her up and tossed her over her shoulder, like a sack of potatoes.

"Aaaaaand we are out of here!" Myrilly exclaimed, again disrupting the silence in the library.

The librarian gave them the evil eye, as Serrah silently apologized.

* * *

Jake made his way towards the room, where Professor Port had requested to meet.

"Ah! Mr. Kohle. Unarmed combat was it?"

"Uh, yes sir."

"Good, good. Now, are you ready to train?" the professor asked.

"Yes."

He had only been to the gym once before, during the quick tour of Beacon. Like he remembered, it was littered with an overwhelming amount of fitness equipment ranging from a dozen treadmills to multiple rowing stations. Everything that Beacon's students needed, it was there.

In the centre of the room was a large area of mats. Professor Port temporarily disappeared, only to bring out a typical fighting dummy.

"I want you to strike it," he told Jake.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

Jake took a stance, recollecting memories from action movies he used to watch with his friends late at night.

"Hyaa!"

He punched the dummy straight in the chest, causing it to rock, despite its heavy foundation. He punched it again, now with a combination of a jab to a cross.

"Hmm… Good… Looks like we don't need to start as far back as I thought. For starters, your form is wrong."

His hand pushed down on Jake's shoulders, forcing him to spread him legs further apart.

"Bend your knees! It lowers your centre of gravity so you don't fall over so easily. Turn towards me."

Jake complied.

"Not your entire body! Only show your side, your left foot in front of your right; or whichever side is more comfortable. It minimizes the area at which someone can strike you. Good! Now face the dummy one again. Strike on my mark."

Jake tensed himself, preparing to strike.

"Strike!"

* * *

"That was very good, considering this is your first time. Of course this is nowhere near the standard of which Beacon's students must perform at, but Ozpin has made this an exception. Unfortunately, I will be unable to give you further extra lessons, so I suggest you may ask your teammates to give you a bit of coaching. I believe Ms. Ledo can assist you for that. That is all."

"Thank you sir."

"Good night Mr. Kohle."

Peter Port left the gym. Jake took a deep breath and did some final stretches before packing up.

He passed by the Recreational room, expecting to see his teammates, but instead found Team Lapis.

"Hey Jake!" David Aureolin called to him.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Playing pool. Want to join us?" said Zack, "Lia's clearing the table! She beat us like… six times!"

"Maybe later. Have you seen any of my guys? They said that they'd be here," said Jake.

"Didn't you hear?" asked Aureolin.

"Hear what?"

"Nalytha had a huge breakdown in the library a couple hours ago."

"What!?"

"Yeah, everyone's talking about it. Though you already had a handle on it."

"No, I was busy…"

"Then you'd better go."

"Check your room, they most likely would be there," Lia said, now joining the conversation.

"Gotcha."

Jake ran through the twisting hallway and made it to their room. He fumbled for the key card, but before he could unlock the door, it opened. Serrah was there, her expression pained and stressed.

He got in and found his entire team. Myrilly was sitting on her bed, uncharacteristically saying nothing, only raising her head to see who came through the door. Nalythia was in her bed, either sleeping or just unwilling to talk.

"What happened?" Jake whispered to Serrah.

"It wasn't that big of a deal, but Nalythia refused to talk ever since you left."

Jake was about to approach Nalythia, but then reconsidered.

"I think we should leave her alone for a bit. C'mon."

"Alright."

Serrah left the room and Myrilly got up from her bed and joined her outside.

"Um, Nalythia. Are you alright?" Jake asked.

There was no answer from the girl.

"If there's anything wrong, we're here for you. Um, if you don't want to talk now, we'll leave you alone for a bit. When you're ready, we'll be in the Recreational room. Lia, Pearl, Zack, and David wanted for all of us to play pool together, so you can come and join us. I guess I'll see you later."

Jake switched off the light and let the door close shut.

* * *

From beneath the covers, Nalythia stirred and then sat up.

"Since when did I get so weak..." she mumbled to herself.

She rubbed her eyes and then got out of bed, but not before tripping over a suitcase that she left out from the night before. Cursing, she inched towards the light switch and managed to turn on the light without stubbing her toe.

She walked to the Recreation room and found the rest of her team and Team Lapis. Jake, Zack, and Aureolin playing pool, while the girls were playing cards together in the other corner.

"Hey Nalythia!" Aureolin greeted her.

Everyone else looked up. There was a bit of tension was in the air.

"Come join us, Nalythia," Serrah said, with a slight nervous tone, "We got you some dinner."

She pointed at a plate cover on the table.

"Thanks," she mumbled, walking over to the plate.

There was a moment of silence as Nalythia sat down.

"You know what?" Myrilly shouted, breaking the awkward silence, "Let's play some poker!"

"Sure," replied Zack, grabbing the poker set from the shelves.

After a few rounds of poker, the tension started to dissipate and before they knew it, hours had already gone by. It was late at night and they had class the next day. Fortunately, Nalythia was back to her normal self, criticizing everyone for the stupid things they do. Jake was glad that everything worked out all right. It would have been a terrible start if there would be conflicts within the team.

As for the poker game, they all learned not to call Lia out on a bluff. Zack learned the hard way, after going all in on a flush when she had a straight flush.

* * *

**If you're still on board, thanks! Finally toning down after the action packed initiation test, we get to have some character interactions and character development. On another note, we broke the 10,000 word milestone! Yay! Like I mentioned in last chapter, there may be a few postponed chapters due to the busy time of year right now, but just keep holding on. More content will come!**

**Now to answer a question asked by a reader:**

_ I see this strange contradiction in this chapter where a Nevermore can physically rip a airship from the sky, but are so frail that a handful of initiates can defeat them._

**Grimm come in different sizes and some are stronger than others (other reasons to follow in later chapters). The nevermore that picked up the airship was a larger variant. In terms of the initiates, the disparity between combat abilities is huge. Some students are way more capable than others, but they have the ability to participate in the initiation test, as long as they pass the preliminary test (applications, etc.).**

**Thanks for reading this week's release, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave comments on what you think! I'd love to answer any of your comments or criticisms.**


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